The Drawings of Michelangelo and His Followers in the Ashmolean Museum

P 1 : KsF
0521551331 c 01 c CUNY 160 /Joannides 052155 133 1 January 10 , 2007 22 : 14

166 WHOLLY OR PARTIALLY AUTOGRAPH SHEETS CATALOGUES 29–30

1908 ,I,p. 266 (Recto: contemporary with, but not

for, the Sistine.). Thode, 1913 ,no. 393 (Recto: as 1908.

Ve r so: not seen.). Popham, 1930 a,no. 505 .Popham, 1931 ,

no. 216. Berenson, 1938 ,I,p. 197 ,no. 1551 (Recto: Medici

chapel period. “[T]hrown off...while he was thinking

over the head of Duke Giuliano.”). Wilde, 1953 exh.,

no. 28 (15 2 0– 4. Recto: “The purpose of this magnifi-

cent head, with its slight tinge of caricature, is unknown.”

Ve r so: unpublished sketch of Hercules and the wild boar.).

Parker, 1956 ,no. 316 (Wilde’s date not entirely convinc-

ing. Verso probably but not certainly represents Her-

cules and Erymanthian Boar.). Dussler, 1959 ,no. 341

(Ascribed to Michelangelo. Recto: some unusual fea-

tures, but probably autograph. Verso: by same hand: sim-

ilarity with Bandinelli’s relief on base of his statue Gio-

vanni delle Bande Nere, suggesting that that relief may

derive from a Michelangelesque prototype.). De Tolnay,

1960 ,pp. 170 – 1 ,no. 153 (Recto: Michelangelo, c. 1525 –

30. “[D]isdainful, almost demonic features...with pro-

truding forehead and lower lip and...curiously shaped

nose...possibly one of Michelangelo’sgarzoni.”). Beren-

son, 1961 ,no. 1551 (Recto: Giuliano, duc de Nemours

as 1903 / 1938 .). Brugnoli, 1964 ,no. 34 (Recto: “arrogant

vitality...underlined by the strong features. At the same

time it demonstrates, by the ironic line of the lip and the

wide-open eye, a pathetic knowledge of defeat.”). Berti,

1965 ,pp. 420 , 427 (Sistine period. Recto: whimsical and

grotesque. Commodi, a visitor to the Casa Buonarroti,

derived inspiration from similar types. Verso: possibly an

allusion to Hercules.). Weinberger, 1967 ,p. 341 (Recto:

Michelangelo, close in style to female head [Cat. 31 ]. Light

traces of caricature.). Hartt, 1971 ,no. 161 (Recto: 1517 –

8 ?. Head of an Evangelist, perhaps St. Luke, for second

storey of San Lorenzo fac ̧ade.); no. 303 (Verso: 1517 – 20 ?.

Subject uncertain.). Van Regteren Altena,n.d.( 1972 ),

pp. 68 ff. (Recto: study for a portrait of Lorenzo the

Magnificent, for the proposed tomb.). Gere and Turner,

1975 ,no. 85 (Recto: unduly grotesque for a portrait

of Lorenzo the Magnificent.). De Tolnay, 1976 , Cor-

pus II, no. 328 (Recto: possibly Lorenzo the Magnifi-

cent,15 2 8- 30 .Verso: Hercules with the boar.). de Tolnay

and Brizio, 1980 ,no. 3 (As 1976 ;c.153 0– 2 .). Lamarche-

Vadel, 1981 ,p. 107 ,no. 128 (Recto: head of an Evange-

list.). Paoletti, 1992 ,pp. 435 – 7 (Recto: probably conflates

images of Lorenzo the Magnificent and Giuliano, Duke

of Nemours.). Perrig, 1999 ,p. 249 (Recto and verso: by

Antonio Mini; from via Mozza studio.).

CATALOGUE 30

Recto: Hercules and Antaeus and Other Sketches

Ve r so: Various Sketches; A Poem

184 4. 63 ;R. 45 ;P.II 317 ; Corpus 237

Dimensions: 288 × 427 mm

Watermark: Robinson Appendix no. 11. Roberts Anchor

F. Briquet 527 ,Verona,155 8.

Medium

Recto: Red chalk; some light drawing in pen and ink.

Ve r so: Red chalk; the poem in pen and ink.

Condition

There are pulp imperfections, several pressed-out verti-

cal folds, and inherent creases. Minor tear repairs, toned

infills, nicks, skinning, and some ingrained dirt are visible.

There are black accretions and waxy deposits; some paper

tape remnants are on the verso. The sheet has widespread

uneven discolouration and foxing, with a slight medium

show-through.

Description and Transcription

Recto

A.Perspective diagram in elevation: projection of a plane;

probably by Antonio Mini.

B.Immediately below A, perspective diagram in plan:

angle of vision; probably by Antonio Mini.

C.A left leg seen frontally; by Antonio Mini, no doubt

after Michelangelo.

D.A left leg seen frontally with the bone structure

indicated; by Antonio Mini, no doubt after Michelan-

gelo.

E.Indecipherable form in pen and ink (overlapped by

D), perhaps studies of water; uncertain authorship.

F.Hercules and Antaeus,sketch (partly overlapping D); by

Michelangelo.

G.Aface in profile, apparently looking at itself in a

mirror; the alternative, that he is looking through a

drawing-grid, seems less likely because, in such a case,

he would presumably have been looking at a foreshort-

ened form rather than a full face; probably by Antonio

Mini.